St. Paul daily globe., 1887-01-25

how much this was going to
DAMAGE HER COMMERCE.
The committee wanted to present an op-
| portunity for good reflection. 1t would not
be necessary for the president of the United
States to issue proclamation of entire sus-
| pension of commercial relations with Can
ada or with any other part of Great Britain.
He was quite sure that when Canadian
fisherman found that there was no market
in the United States for pound of their
fish they would at once conSi 1 the pocket
nerve. 1t would be found quite easy to ar
range all difficulties without resorting to
the war-making powers. There was no war
in this measure. There was peace in it
and nothing else. But if the troubles were
! allowed to go on there would be war in
them and war beyond the control of con-
gress. The first blood that would be drawn
i'll a controversy of this kind on the Cana
dian coast would be the tocsin Of war. The
people of the United States would
be plunged into war by this Just
as rapidly as they had been by
John Browns raid on Harper's Ferry.
And they would go into it unanimously
American fishermen would find, in defense
of their rights, just as much support on the
Gulf of Mexico as on the coast of Maine.
1t was, therefore. worth while for both
{ SObhtliCo " VIII Will iii IliC
power of law that might be necessary to
prevent a conflict between individuals by
which
WAR MIGHT BE PRECIPITATED
beyond tile power of congress to control.
The senate could not afford to stand still
under those circumstances. The commit
tee on foreign relations had felt that it
would not be eXcuSable if, in such an eXi-
gency, 1t declined to act in matter of so great
Importance. Mr.. EvartS argued in support
of the bill, which, he said. was not in the
nature of a menace or tending at all in that
direction. 1t was the duty of congress. he
said, TO take the subject away from local
disturbance, irritation and resentment. So
far from the bill tending to war or tending
to umbrage, it was intended to have con-
trary effect. 1t was an immediate an
| nouncement to the people that they had
only to trust their protection, not to per-
sonal resentment, but to the government of
| the United States, and when the opening
summer should bring about the recurrence
of the fishing season and of the fishing
dangers the question would be removed
from that theater of collision. and. if not
concluded. it would be under the control of
both governments in deliberate considera-
| ton of what should be done in order to
| have stability of intercourse and in order to
give stability to the peace and dignity of
| the two great nationS-the United States
and Great Britain. Mr. Hale declared HIM
self earnestly in favor of the bill. Its pro-
visions were not harsh, but moderate; and
he believed that their provisions, when en-
| acted into law and carried out by the ex-
ecutive, would be efficaciouS. The situation
for year past had been
SIMPLY INTOLERABLE.
Aggressions on American fishing inter
estS by the Dominion authorities had been
| persisted i'll against every eXpostulation and
entreaty Oh the part of the United States
| They were such as had never been sub
mitted to since the infant days of the re-
public. He was bound to believe that those
aggressonS on the right of American citi
zens (high-handed as they had BEEN had
not been brought about by accident, but
were the result of deliberate generalization
and predetermination. If these acts did
not cease, that was an end of negotiations
and there must be some other process re-
sorted to. The least desired pro-
cess is the appeal to that most
! formidable trbunal-declared hostilities
war. He thought the proposed
retaliatOry measures would bring our neigh
bors TO their senses. but until the American
| conglesG should Send this note-not of men
ace. bat of warllng-these things would con-
| tinue. Mr.. Vest said: at goes without saying
that if the rights of the humblest citizen of
the United States shall be attacked by any
foreign power. there would exist an unan-
| unity of sentiment on the part Of the people
| of the United States that those
RIGHTS SHOULD BE PROTECTED,
and that the glory and honor of the Ameri-
can people should be preserved. AS the
senator from Alabama has very well said,
there will be no geographical or sectional
difference if this issue is ever made, and it
will be found that the men who were
arrayed against each other in battle
so lately viii stand together in solid pha-
lanX in defense OF these rights and honor.
| But. Mr.. President, all this talk which runs
to meet any such thing as war with the
other great Engish-speaking people of the
world is to be deprecated. 1t is enough for
us to meet any such contingency when it is
absolutely impossible to avoid it. AS for
myself, | can safely say that have no sort
of prejudice in favor of Eng land or her in
| StltutionS which prevents me now from
| saying that | would not hesitate one single
| instant as to the consequences if the issue
! of individual rights or national honor be
presented to this congress or the people
| But it becomes u.s. Mr.. President, to con-
| slider well every step we take in regard to
| this
! MOST PERILOUs COMPLICATION.
| England was not without some pretenSe
OF right in her construction of the treaty of
| 1918. In relation to tt eSe fishery difficult
| ties Great Britain stood to the United
! States precisely as the United States had
! stood in relation to Mexico when the diff
| ficalties on the Rio Grande brought about
| tho. E'yarJ- iOtaIlinapt mo
| knew how local prejudices and contiguity
| famed into flame difficulties which of
! themselves might be susceptible of adj
| iuStment. OF all the calamities
that could befell this country a war be-
| tween Great Britain and the United States
would be the greatest. The pending bill
| (for which he expected to vote) comes be-
fore the senate in the nature of a PROPOSE
| tiCn for commercial embargo. If not war;
| it was the half-Sister of war. Still, he
would vote for the bill because it con-
| tanned a provision that the president should
| have the discretionary power in the matter
| He would not vote for it as mandatory
bill. He would not take the responsibility
of saying the president should
DECLARE THIS EMBARGO
while negotiations were still pending and
f., while senators know the full results of
what war with Great Britain might mean
1t was well enough to talk in rhetorical
! style about q war with Great Britain. When
they come to the matter of military re-
| sources, there were some things which had
better be said in secret session. The world
in arms could not conquer the United
States on its own soil, nor five such worlds
! in arms. The people of the United States
were invincible in any such struggle as
that. But, in maritime war, who could
answer for the result? Who wanted to
run the risk of throwing down the
gauge of battle in any such contest? Who
wanted to invite such a contest. however